vs
The modern Gmelius alternative for Gmail teams.
Everything Gmelius does inside Gmail, at roughly half the price, plus the things it doesn’t have: AI included in the seat, an MCP server that runs your inbox from Claude or ChatGPT, a customer-facing help center and live chat, unlimited conversations, and a full standalone app for when your team scales past the extension. From $12 a seat.
Table of contents
The verdict
Drag and Gmelius are both Gmail-native shared inboxes with boards, automations, and AI. The difference is price, scope, and reach. Drag costs from $12 a seat with AI included, unlimited conversations, an MCP server, and a customer-facing help center and live chat, and runs inside Gmail or as a full standalone app. Gmelius is a capable Gmail collaboration tool, but it is extension-only, caps conversations on its lower plans, has no MCP server, and is not a help desk. For most Gmail teams that want lower cost, AI included, and room to scale, Drag is the stronger 2026 choice. If you depend on Gmelius's native Trello sync, its built-in meeting scheduler, or its specific automation sequences, Gmelius may suit you better.
Choose Drag if you…
- Want a lower price: from $12 a seat, with AI included from $18, versus Gmelius Growth at $25
- Want AI included in the seat rather than gated to higher tiers
- Want to run your inbox from Claude, ChatGPT, or Cursor (MCP)
- Need a customer-facing help center and a live-chat widget (Drag is also a help desk)
- Send high email volume and need unlimited conversations, with no monthly caps
- Want the choice of working inside Gmail or in a full standalone web, desktop, and mobile app
Choose Gmelius if you…
- Rely on Gmelius’s native Trello two-way sync
- Want its built-in meeting scheduler inside Gmail
- Are committed to its specific automation-sequence setup
Drag vs Gmelius at a glance
| Feature | Drag | Gmelius |
|---|---|---|
| Where & how you work | ||
| Ways to work | Inside Gmail (extension) or standalone app | Chrome extension only |
| Standalone web / desktop / mobile apps | check_circle | cancel |
| Email providers | Gmail / Google Workspace | Gmail / Google Workspace (Outlook on waitlist, not released) |
| No migration to adopt | Yes, runs in your existing Gmail | Yes, runs in your existing Gmail |
| AI & automation | ||
| AI included in the seat | Yes, from $18 | AI on all plans, advanced features gated to higher tiers |
| Run inbox from AI tools (MCP server) | Yes, 47 tools, read+write | cancel |
| Kanban boards / workflow | check_circle | check_circle |
| Automations / sequences | check_circle | check_circle |
| Channels & support | ||
| check_circle | check_circle | |
| Yes (Pro) | cancel | |
| Customer-facing help center | Yes, AI-grounded | No (not a help desk) |
| Live-chat widget for your customers | Yes, flows into your inbox | cancel |
| Limits & pricing | ||
| Conversation limits | Unlimited, all plans | 5,000/mo (Meli), 10,000/mo (Growth), 100,000/mo (Pro) |
| Entry price (annual) | $12 / user / mo | $19 / user / mo (Meli, capped at 5 users, no automation rules) |
| AI plan (annual) | $18 (AI included) | $25 (Growth) |
| Free trial | 7-day | 7-day |
| Customer rating | 4.7 (1,200+) | 4.4 on G2 (776) |
Things Gmelius has that Drag covers differently: native Trello sync, built-in meeting scheduler, native Salesforce/HubSpot CRM assignment (Drag connects these via API). (Noted honestly in “Where Gmelius wins” below.)
Why Gmail teams pick Drag
Pricing
Lower price, and no conversation limits.
Drag starts at $12 a seat. Gmelius’s entry plan (Meli) is $19 a seat, capped at 5 users with no automation rules, so most teams land on Growth at $25. At the plan most teams actually use, Drag is roughly half the cost. The cap that catches teams out is volume. Gmelius limits shared conversations by plan: 5,000 a month on Meli, 10,000 on Growth, 100,000 on Pro. Exceed the limit and you are pushed to upgrade. Drag has no conversation limits on any plan.
- Drag Starter $12: unlimited users, unlimited shared inboxes, unlimited conversations.
- Gmelius Meli $19: capped at 5 users, 5,000 conversations a month, no automation rules.
- Gmelius Growth $25: 10,000 conversations a month, then upgrade to Pro at $40.
Source: Drag pricing, Gmelius pricing page, June 2026.
AI Platform
AI included in the seat.
Drag includes six AI assistants in the seat: draft, tag, sentiment, compose, summarise, and co-pilot. One predictable bill from $18, no separate AI tier. Gmelius includes Meli AI on all plans, but advanced capability sits on higher tiers and reviewers describe the AI as inconsistent.
See Drag AISix AI assistants, included
Run your inbox from your AI tools (MCP).
Drag publishes its own MCP server, @dragapp/mcp-server: 47 tools, including WhatsApp, full read+write across email, boards, assignments, labels, analytics, and the knowledge base. Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Cursor, and Claude Code, set up in ~30 seconds. Tell Claude ‘summarise unread Support threads and assign billing to Sarah,’ and it does. Gmelius offers a REST API and Zapier and Make connections, but no MCP server, so you cannot drive your Gmelius inbox from an AI tool.
Explore the MCP serverMCP Server
@dragapp/mcp-server
47
tools · read + write
ClaudeChatGPTGeminiCopilotCursor+ any MCP clientDrag Agent
Early AccessComing to Drag: an autonomous agent that classifies inbound email, retrieves context from your knowledge base and connected tools, takes action (refunds, ticket updates, CRM notes), drafts a sourced reply, and resolves the thread, all without a human in the loop. Currently rolling out in Early Access. Gmelius has AI assistants for drafting and sorting, but no autonomous resolution agent of this kind.
09:41:02 CLASSIFY intent=billing, entity=invoice #4821
09:41:03 RETRIEVE stripe.invoices.get(4821) → $249.00 paid
09:41:04 RETRIEVE kb.search('refund policy') → 30-day window
09:41:05 ACT stripe.refunds.create(amount=249.00) → rf_8xK2
09:41:06 DRAFT confidence=0.96, sources=2, tokens=142
09:41:07 SEND thread_id=t_9f3a → resolved
Classify
Reads the email, identifies intent and extracts key entities.
Retrieve
Pulls context from your knowledge base, CRM, and previous conversations.
Act
Takes real action: issues a refund, updates a ticket, logs a note.
Resolve
Drafts a response, cites its sources, and sends or escalates.
Flexibility
One inbox, two ways to work, built to scale past the extension.
Drag runs inside Gmail via the Chrome extension, or as a full standalone web, desktop, and mobile app. Same data, same boards, your team’s choice. That matters as you grow: when a browser extension starts to feel limiting, you have a real app to move to without changing tools.
- Drag: Chrome extension or standalone web, desktop, and mobile app, same data, same boards.
- Gmelius: Chrome extension only; reviewers report slow load times and glitches at higher volume.
- Gmelius: reviewers describe it as overwhelming as it grows, with too many features to navigate easily.
Source: Gmelius site (extension-only); performance commentary in Prospeo’s 2026 review and G2 reviews.
Support
You’re also a help desk: help center and live chat included.
Drag includes a customer-facing, AI-grounded help center for your customers, and a live-chat widget whose conversations land in your Gmail shared inbox as cards with the same boards, assignments, AI, and SLAs.
- AI-grounded help center that deflects repetitive questions with a current knowledge base.
- Live-chat widget whose conversations land in your Gmail shared inbox as cards.
- Gmelius: positions itself to “replace Help Desks,” with “no separate help desk” and no live-chat widget.
Source: Gmelius homepage and shared-inbox page.
Security
A cleaner security model for offboarding and compliance.
Gmelius’s shared inbox works through shared Gmail labels synced in real time and Gmail delegation, with each member accessing the shared inbox from their own Google account. That model raises a question worth asking before you buy: with conversations synced into team members’ own mailboxes, what happens to that data when someone leaves, and how clean is revocation?
- Drag: permission-based access, revoked instantly with immediate effect.
- Does not duplicate emails across mailboxes, does not store emails on its servers. CASA Tier 2, GDPR.
- Gmelius: shared-label sync plus delegation through members’ own Google accounts; consider offboarding and data residency.
Source: Gmelius shared-inbox page (label sync + delegation); Drag security/trust center.
Pricing: Drag vs Gmelius
As of June 2026. Gmelius: $19 Meli (capped at 5 users) / $25 Growth / $40 Pro (annual), 7-day trial. Drag: $12 Starter / $18 Plus / $24 Pro (annual), AI included from Plus.
AI features
Drag Plus (AI included)
$2,160/yr
$18/user/mo × 10 seats · AI included
Gmelius Growth
from $3,000/yr+
$25/user/mo × 10 seats · 10,000 conversations/mo cap
Your team saves at least $840/yr with Drag.
Estimate based on published annual pricing, June 2026. Gmelius Meli is capped at 5 users, so most teams compare at Growth.
Drag vs Gmelius, feature by feature
The detail layer for evaluators. Each claim is backed by a Drag product screenshot and, where we state a Gmelius limitation, a cited source.
Price and conversation limits
Drag is roughly half the cost at the plan most teams use, and it never caps conversations.
- Drag $12 entry, $18 with AI, unlimited conversations on every plan.
- Gmelius Meli $19 (5-user cap, 5,000 conversations, no automation rules); Growth $25 (10,000 conversations); Pro $40 (100,000).
Source: Drag pricing, Gmelius pricing page.
AI, included
Drag includes six AI assistants in the seat. Gmelius includes Meli but reviewers find it inconsistent and gate advanced capability to higher tiers.
- Drag Plus $18: draft, tag, sentiment, compose, summarise, co-pilot.
- Gmelius: Meli drafting, sorting, dispatch; reviewer-noted inconsistency.
Source: Gmelius AI pages; G2 reviews.
Run your inbox from Claude (MCP)
Drag publishes an MCP server; Gmelius does not.
- 47 tools, full read and write from Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Cursor, or Claude Code.
- Gmelius: REST API and Zapier/Make only, no MCP server.
Source: Gmelius integrations page; dragapp.com/mcp / MCP for customer support
Scales past the extension
Drag runs in Gmail or as a standalone app; Gmelius is extension-only and slows at scale per reviewers.
- Drag: Chrome extension or standalone web, desktop, and mobile, same data.
- Gmelius: Chrome extension only; reviewers report slow load and glitches at higher volume.
Source: Gmelius site; Prospeo 2026 review, G2.
Customer-facing help center and live chat
Drag is also a help desk; Gmelius is not.
- Drag: AI-grounded help center plus a live-chat widget that lands in your inbox.
- Gmelius: positions itself to “replace Help Desks,” with “no separate help desk.”
Source: Gmelius homepage.
Drag handles WhatsApp inside Gmail; Gmelius offers no WhatsApp channel.
- Drag: WhatsApp conversations with assignment, tags, automation, reporting (Pro).
- Gmelius: no WhatsApp integration.
Source: Gmelius integrations page.
Security and data architecture
Drag uses permission-based access with instant revocation; Gmelius uses label sync and Gmail delegation.
- Drag: no email duplication, instant revocation, does not store emails on its servers, Google Cloud Partner, CASA Tier 2, GDPR.
- Gmelius: shared-label sync plus delegation via members’ own Google accounts; consider offboarding and data residency.
Source: Gmelius shared-inbox page; Drag trust center.
Share specific emails, not just whole inboxes
Drag lets you share an individual email or conversation with a teammate, not only an entire shared inbox, so private threads stay private and you control exactly what is shared.
- Drag: share a single email or a whole inbox, your choice, with granular control.
- Gmelius: sharing is organised around shared inboxes and shared labels.
Source: Drag product; Gmelius shared-inbox and shared-labels pages.
Where Gmelius wins
- Native Trello sync: Gmelius offers a two-way Trello integration; Drag connects Trello via API rather than natively.
- Built-in meeting scheduler: Gmelius includes a meeting scheduler inside Gmail; with Drag you would use a dedicated scheduling tool.
- Automation sequences: Gmelius has a mature, well-developed sequence and rules setup that long-time users rate highly.
- Maturity and review base: Gmelius has been in the Gmail collaboration space for years and has a larger G2 review base (776 reviews).
If those describe what you need, Gmelius may be the better tool. We’d rather say so than oversell. For a Gmail team that wants lower cost, AI included, unlimited conversations, a help center and live chat, and room to scale beyond the extension, Drag is the stronger 2026 choice.
There’s nothing to migrate.
Because Drag works inside your existing Gmail, switching from Gmelius is not a migration. It is adding a Chrome extension, or the Drag web, desktop, or mobile apps. No moving mailboxes, no IT project, no training budget. Connect your shared address, invite your team, and your shared inbox is live in under two minutes. Adoption is instant because your team is already in Gmail.
What customers say
“What we like the most about Drag is the ability to see at a glance where a client is during their Onboarding process, through the use of columns, tasks, and tags. It has been crucial for us because Waste Logics is a growing business and this transparency allows us to work faster and smarter.”
“There really is no comparison when it comes to Drag. We have a great relationship with their team, it’s incredibly easy to use, addresses all of our needs, and the price is right!”
“Drag provided a lot of transparency and unified our team. It allowed us to bring the entire team together to manage emails and tasks collaboratively, as opposed to working in silos, across different tools.”
Frequently asked questions
Is Drag a good Gmelius alternative?
Yes. Drag is a Gmail-native shared inbox with boards, automations, and AI, like Gmelius, but at a lower price, with AI included in the seat, an MCP server, a customer-facing help center and live chat, unlimited conversations, and a standalone app. For most Gmail teams it is the more complete, lower-cost choice.
What’s the main difference between Drag and Gmelius?
Both are Gmail-native. The differences are price, scope, and reach. Drag is roughly half the cost at the plan most teams use, includes AI in the seat, never caps conversations, adds an MCP server and a help center and live chat, and runs as a standalone app as well as in Gmail. Gmelius is extension-only, caps conversations on lower plans, and is a shared inbox rather than a help desk.
Is Drag cheaper than Gmelius?
Yes. Drag starts at $12 a seat versus Gmelius Meli at $19 (capped at 5 users). At the plan most teams use, Drag Plus at $18 compares with Gmelius Growth at $25. A 10-seat team on Drag Plus pays $2,160 a year versus $3,000 on Gmelius Growth, a saving of $840 a year, and Drag has no conversation limits.
Does Gmelius limit the number of conversations?
Yes. Gmelius caps shared conversations by plan: 5,000 a month on Meli, 10,000 on Growth, and 100,000 on Pro. If you exceed the limit you must upgrade. Drag has no conversation limits on any plan.
Does Drag have AI like Gmelius?
Yes, and it is included in the seat. Drag includes six AI assistants (draft, tag, sentiment, compose, summarise, co-pilot) from the Plus plan at $18. Gmelius includes its Meli AI on all plans but gates more advanced capability to higher tiers, and reviewers describe the AI as inconsistent.
Can I run my inbox from Claude with Drag?
Yes. Drag publishes an MCP server with 47 tools and full read and write access, so AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and Cursor can triage, draft, assign, label, and report on your inbox. Gmelius has a REST API and Zapier and Make connections but no MCP server.
Does Drag offer a help center and live chat?
Yes. Drag includes a customer-facing, AI-grounded help center and a live-chat widget whose conversations arrive in your Gmail shared inbox. Gmelius positions itself as a shared inbox that replaces a help desk and does not provide a customer-facing help center or live-chat widget.
Does Gmelius work outside Gmail?
Not today. Gmelius is a Chrome extension for Gmail and Google Workspace. Its own site lists Outlook as a waitlist, so Outlook is not yet available. Drag is also Gmail and Google Workspace focused, but offers a full standalone web, desktop, and mobile app in addition to the Gmail extension.
Is Drag more secure than Gmelius for shared inboxes?
Drag uses permission-based access: it shares access to a shared inbox, revokes it instantly, does not duplicate emails across mailboxes, and does not store your emails on its servers. It is a Google Cloud Partner with CASA Tier 2 verification and is GDPR compliant. Gmelius uses shared-label sync and Gmail delegation through members’ own Google accounts, which is worth evaluating for offboarding and data residency.
How hard is it to switch from Gmelius to Drag?
Easy. Because Drag works inside your existing Gmail, switching is adding a Chrome extension or the Drag apps, not a migration. There are no mailboxes to move and your shared inbox can be live in under two minutes.
How do Drag and Gmelius compare on G2?
Drag is rated 4.7 from over 1,200 reviews across platforms; on G2 specifically, Gmelius rates 4.4 from 776 reviews, the larger G2 review base. Drag has held the “Users Love Us” badge for 24 quarters.
When is Gmelius the better choice?
If you rely on Gmelius’s native Trello two-way sync, its built-in meeting scheduler, or its specific automation-sequence setup, Gmelius may suit you better.
Do I need to migrate or import my email to use Drag?
No. Drag runs on top of your existing Gmail. Your mail stays in Gmail; Drag adds a shared-inbox layer with boards, assignments, and AI.
Can I use Drag and Gmail at the same time?
Yes. Drag works inside Gmail, so your team keeps using Gmail exactly as they do now, with Drag’s shared inbox, boards, and AI layered on top.
What happens to my email if I cancel Drag?
Your mail stays in Gmail. Because Drag is a layer on top of Gmail and does not store your emails on its servers, cancelling leaves your mail where it always was.
Does Drag have a mobile app?
Yes. Drag is available as a Chrome extension and as standalone web, desktop, iOS, and Android apps. Gmelius is a Chrome extension with a mobile PWA.
